'Queer Eye's first trans participant speaks out about the episode

For a show that features extraordinarily handsome cis gay men who do elaborate makeovers, Queer Eye has generated a shockingly low level of controversy.

Still, exceptions exist. Some critics took issue with this show's handling of its first ever trans client, Skyler Jay. In a new interview with them., Jay defended the Fab Five and explained why the episode took the direction it did.

Specifically, Jay defended his interactions with Tan France, who admitted he hadn't really interacted with an trans person before.

Jay explained to France that he may not have interacted with an openly trans person before — but they were so many of them out there.

"I don’t blame him for his lack of knowledge. Instead, I very much thank him for his willingness to seek out that knowledge through me," Jay said.

Some viewers were further concerned that the episode focused too much on Jay's surgery and seemed to be catered to a straight audience.

Here's Jay's take on it:

“I took full power knowing that the show was going to be targeted at middle-America housewives, because that’s what the first season was geared toward. I was like — ‘Cool, I’m going to teach some middle-America housewife moms how to care for their transgender kids when they come out by being open and understanding their kids better."

Jay said the Queer Eye guys were even nicer in person. When he was struggling with a follow-up surgery, Jay reached out to Queer Eye design expert Bobby Berk, who responded with a tremendous display of support.

You can read the full interview — which will still make you sob, damnit — here.

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